Toluca opened their Leagues Cup 2026 account on Wednesday night with an explosive 3-0 victory against the reigning champions Seattle Sounders, but opened a lid on a bigger discussion by the final whistle.
Goals from Jesús Gallardo, Helinho and new signing Federico Viñas gave Los Rojos Diablos the perfect start against a Seattle side which has been heavily impacted by injuries.
Despite the absences, the result has highlighted some of the flaws of the Leagues Cup, which for so long has been created to promote the MLS.
What is the Leagues Cup?
The Leagues Cup is an annual competiton between Liga MX and MLS sides.
Since its inauguration in 2019, the Leagues Cup’s format has changed on a regular basis. Initially only inviting a handful of teams, it has grown to welcome all 18 teams from Mexico, with the best 18 performing sides from the MLS completing the lineup.
Both the first two editions of the tournament were won by Liga MX teams as Cruz Azul lifted the first-ever trophy before León followed suit two years later.
Since 2021, when León defeated the Seattle Sounders, rules changed to mean that the competition would only be held in the US or Canada, handing MLS sides a major advantage.
As a result, the last three Leagues Cups have been won by teams from the US, starting with the Columbus Crew in 2023, before Inter Miami and the Sounders rose to the top in the following years.
Why was Toluca’s win significant?
Toluca’s meeting with Seattle at the Estadio Nemesio Díez became the first Leagues Cup match in over three years to be played south of the border.
In a tournament that has heavily favoured MLS teams, Toluca’s demanding performance against the reigning champions highlighted a lack of balance that otherwise would provide differing results if Liga MX had the chance to play in front of their home fans.
So far, we have seen 13 victories for teams from the US and Canada with Mexican sides picking up six wins.
A day after Toluca’s win at the Nemesio Diez, Club América joined them by cruising to victory against San Diego FC at the Estadio Banorte, feeding into this idea that matches between both sides of the border would offer more even and entertaining matchups.
How did Toluca beat Seattle?
The Estadio Nemesio Díez is widely considered one of the most difficult places for any away team and Seattle felt the full brunt of it on Wednesday night.
Sitting at around 2,670 meters (8,750 feet) above sea level, Toluca is one of the highest-altitude cities in North America, presenting a unique physical challenge for visiting teams and players looking to perform at their best.
That’s exactly what faced the reigning Leagues Cup champions, who found themselves behind within the opening three minutes as Gallardo converted an early corner from the near post to put Los Rojos Diablos ahead.
Osaze De Rosario was handed a golden opportunity to level the game but failed to convert a one-on-one which was punished in the second half as Toluca doubled their lead through Helinho, pouncing on a poor save from Stefan Frei as it fell perfectly into the path of the Brazilian winger.
All three points were wrapped up in added time as new signing Viñas marked his debut with a goal, being the first to latch onto a rebounded effort from Gallardo, which Frei managed to push onto the bar before falling to Toluca’s new big summer signing.
Knock-on effects
Following the win, Toluca headed Stateside for their second fixture, travelling to California to face LAFC.
Pre-game, this matchup was tipped to be one of the standout fixtures of the first round. With Toluca opening the tournament with a win over Seattle, LAFC also came into the fixture full of confidence, having edged past one of Mexico’s best-performing sides from the 2026 Clausura, Chivas, on penalties.
Against the pre-game hype, Toluca and LAFC looked destined for a goalless draw until Eddie Segura struck in the 92nd minute, snatching a late winner and all three points for the home side.
The result once again underlines the value of home advantage, with teams benefiting from playing in front of their own supporters a factor that favors MLS sides far more often than their Liga MX counterparts.
